


Discomforts

by Kirkwallgirl



Series: Freckles and Feathers [8]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: ? - Freeform, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-08-29 11:12:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8487133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirkwallgirl/pseuds/Kirkwallgirl
Summary: Hawke and Anders face discomforts and nightmares on the road after leaving Kirkwall - but they face them together.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is technically my custom Hawke, Jayden, but I guess the fic reads as a fairly generic male mage Hawke because I never mention his name or definining characteristics, so read this as you please. *shrugs* ^u^

Hawke shifted uncomfortably on his bedroll and Anders, whose arms had been wrapped around his shoulder, tightened his grip and pressed his forehead harder against Hawke’s chest with a frown and some mumbled incomprehensible words that sounded vaguely like begging.

      “Shhhh, it’s okay, I’m not going anywhere. I need to move. My back hurts,” Hawke muttered, and shifted again, trying to alleviate the ache and the soreness. There had been a time when he had been able to sleep on cold hard ground like this without much discomfort, but years were finally catching up to him - and the years when he’d gotten used to mostly spending his nights in his comfortable, warm bed in Hightown. At least they were sheltered from the freezing autumn rain in the cave that remained of the much larger one they’d collapsed on a darkspawn tunnel. Being soaking wet on top of everything else would have made trying to sleep ever so much more miserable.

      Anders’ hand wandered down from Hawke’s shoulder to his lower back, and warmed up with magic. Hawke let it linger for a moment, but then shifted reluctantly to move the hand away from the pain.

      “You can do that in the morning if you want,” he sighed, and nuzzled the top of Anders’ head. “You’re already exhausted. Try to go back to sleep.”

      Anders was quiet, breathing against Hawke’s chest. Hawke could feel the tension in Anders’ brow even through the fabric of his shirt, and the nervousness in the movements of Anders’ fingers on his back when they wandered back to his upper back, and his chest tightened.

      “Nightmares?” he asked quietly, and Anders nodded after a brief pause. Hawke groaned, and hugged him a little closer.  
  
      “The mana-deficiency makes them worse,” Anders said muttered. “And the whispers. I can feel them at the edge of my mind all the time… There aren’t darkspawn anywhere near us now but I can still…” He trailed off, swallowed with difficulty.  
  
      “I’m sorry I dragged you down there again,” Hawke said, and really did regret it. He didn’t want to keep pulling Anders into the Deep Roads, knowing fully well that Anders didn’t like the closed-off spaces and tight corridors, the oppressing presence of rock all around them, and knowing fully well that the presence of Darkspawn reminded Anders of things he didn’t need reminding of, but… if there was an opening to the Deep Roads here and darkspawn were pestering local farmers, surely they’d had to do their best to stop it?  
  
      Anders let out a little laugh, and a sliver of the tension left with it.  
  
      “How many times have I willingly followed you to the Deep Roads by now?”  
  
      “More times than I’ve asked,” Hawke said, and kissed Anders’ hair.  
  
      “You’re too cute to be left into your own devices down there.” Anders sounded a little irritated. “You’d get yourself killed.”  
  
      “I am a healer, you know. I can take care of myself” Hawke said, but it was empty talk - there were other aches and bandaged wounds on him that spoke volumes about how well the day would have gone for him if Anders hadn’t been there to heal his injuries.  
  
      “You tend to forget that a lot, love.” Anders sighed, and his hand traced its way back to Hawke’s lower back, caressing in soft little circles, but he refrained from using his magic, and Hawke was both relieved and a little regretful.  
  
     "True,“ Hawke admitted, and smiled fondly. "Guess I’m too used to having you around to have learned well enough to be a good combat healer…”  
  
      Anders made a sleepy sound. “We should work on that…” He seemed to pull himself back from the edge of sleep a little more for a moment, and turned his head to look at Hawke.   
  
      “I know you really didn’t mean to even end up there this time, though, love. We couldn’t know we’d run into something like this” and when that didn’t smooth the worried expression on Hawke’s face: “I never begrudge you for it. Never. I’d go to worse places for you.”  
  
      Hawke sighed.  
  
      “That’s why I’m worried,” he said, but a little smile touched his lips, and he kissed Anders’ upturned face.  
  
      Anders smiled and turned his face away to press his forehead against Hawke’s chest again. His fingers sunk deeper into Hawke’s back. Hawke grunted at the twinge of muscle under the fingers, and then laughed a little strainedly when Anders immediately softened his grip.  
  
      “Guess I’m a little sore all over,” he said, and caressed Anders’ tense shoulders. “But hey, cling all you need. I’ve got you.”


End file.
